Sunday, June 13, 2010

June 2010 DC Challenge Pâté & Bread

Beware many offal and animal body part photos are contained in this post so be warned!

This month's challenge was brilliant it was to make pâté and bread to go with it. What was so special about this challenge was the exquisite taste of the offal pâté - liver and other offal are used to make pâté but in pâté the offal changes in character so much - a lot of people dislike cooked kidney or other offal but when cooked into a pâté it is so tasty and full of flavour. The three spice chicken liver pâté (one of the challenge recipes) was a revelation to me and many other Daring Cooks'.

I love offal and did many versions of offal pâtés. It was so nice to have a chance to do offal for the Daring Kitchen.

Traditionally, pâté is meat-based, and often includes liver, or gizzards, or other potentially icky animal parts. But, because we realize that not everyone likes that kind of pâté, we have also included recipes for fish pâté, and vegetable pâté. However, if you know that you enjoy liver pâté, but are a little squeamish about cooking with liver, we urge you to give it a try: after making these, neither of us will ever buy meat-based pâté ever again! Having said that, the meatless pâtés are also very tasty.

Now, since pâté is rarely eaten alone, we are adding a second part to this challenge: you will have to make a bread, to go with your pâté. We’ve included a really good recipe for French baguette. However, because baguette is quite time-consuming to make, and because we know that the Daring Bakers have already made baguette a while ago, we’re also giving you a quicker recipe for a sandwich loaf, which you can also choose to make as little rolls, with white or whole wheat flour. But really, we’re giving you free range for the bread part of the challenge: if there’s a daring bread recipe you’ve been dying to try, and you think it would go well with your pâté, go for it!

Blog-checking lines: Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pâté with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.

I decided to a very yummy recipe from a very old Finnish cook book that my mum give me it is 113 years old. The name of the recipe means Poor man's Goose Liver Pâté it uses ground tripe as the bottom layer and has a fruit (I used pomegranate the recipe said to use cranberries) topping. The resulting bottom layer of tripe pâté was surprisingly very white (I was expecting pink since tripe usually goes pink when cooked) and the pomegranate topping went superbly with the pâté it really complimented the richness of the tripe. I did cranberry sourdough short rolls which worked out very well and cut very cleanly.

I'll spare you pictures of tripe and the process of making it.

I had invited a few friends whom I knew would like offal pâté. The texture was exquisite like firm brie and it was all eaten up in no time - barely enough time to take the photos. It had a very strong taste of goose which was very unexpected but delicious.

A very interesting and intriguing recipe and one which I will do again. The recipe uses only a few ingredients I think it really was a recipe for poor people to cheaply recreate a rich strongly goose liver flavoured pâté.

Cranberry Sourdough short rolls

The unmoulded tripe pâté with the bread

Yum Yum this tripe pâté was so good

Collage of the tripe pâté

Second pâté batchTwo pâtés and four breadsThe first pâté is brawn or pâté de tête de porc it is made from pig's trotters and a pig's head. The second pâté is the challenge chicken liver recipe but with a lot of hot chillies added.

The four kinds of bread (from left to right) - épi de blé (baguette in the shape of wheat), long baguette, country farm loaf and short Vietnamese rice/wheat baguette

Pâté de tête de porcAbsolutely delicious it was so shiny and the chives added a lovely colour and flavour. Pâté de tête de porc with blue cheese and chives

MethodPlace the washed and dried pig's head and trotters into a large stock pot. Add all the ingredients except chives and seasoning into the pot with enough water to cover. Slowly bring to boil lower heat to a low simmer and cook for 3-4 hours until the meat falls off the bone, top up water and skim as necessary. Let cool for one hour. Pick all usable meat from the head and trotters, chop meat into ½ cm pieces and place into a large bowl, strain liquid through a fine sieve into the bowl, discard everything else. Return meat and liquid to the pot and simmer for 10 mins. Let cool to warm add chives and check for seasoning adding sugar, salt and pepper as needed. Remember this dish is served cold so over-season slightly. Pour into moulds and refrigerate overnight.

The skinned tongue (chopped) and the ears (finely sliced) are especially delicious so use them also. Remove the eyes and other nerve tissue when picking the head clean. The brains (mashed) are heavenly with tarragon, butter and Dijon mustard you can use this as a dressing for the cut slices if you wish.

Three pâté batchLangue de agneau et de porc pâtéThe butcher give me a pile of lamb's and small pig's tongues for free so I had to make sliced tongue - the recipe is so simple just boil the tongues in half water and vinegar for 3 hours (check after 2 hours) skimming as necessary. Cool and skin the tongues. Reduce the simmering liquid to one cup. Place the tongues tightly packed into a loaf pan with the simmered liquid, weigh down the meat and refrigerate overnight. The final recipe can be sliced thinly.

I'm really loving this challenge I just love offal.

I just realised that I have made pâté from cow tripe, chicken liver, pig head and trotters, and finally lamb and pork tongue - I will have to think hard what to make next I'm not sure if there is other offal left LOL LOL!

Tongue slices

Tongue sandwich - red semi-dried tomato pesto, mustard with herbs, green basil pesto. Yum Yum. Fourth pâté batchChicken Feet PâtéI like the head cheese pâté so much I thought I would a chicken feet version. It is the same basic recipe just simmer the feet for 4 hours and pick the meat from the bones and reduce the stock to about 1 litre (4 cups). I also made "French toast" to go with the pâté.

These recipes were such a pain to make - the chicken feet had a lot of very small bones that I had to push the meat through a sieve to get rid all of them and the bread took several hours of careful watching much easier to buy a pack for $1. But I gained a lot of experience in learning what to buy and what to make from scratch.

Hints and tipsOne good step to add: do a "poach test" for seasoning for the pâté. Once you've made the mixture, place about an ounce (about 30 grams) in some plastic wrap and roll it up into a small log and tie the ends. Poach this in simmering water until cooked through, then chill in ice water. Taste this for seasoning, then adjust if needed before cooking the pate. It's always important to taste this at the temperature you plan to eat the final result. For example when making sausage, this test should be done by sautéing and eating it hot. Cold foods like this pate will always require more salt than their hot counterparts in order to taste properly seasoned. These tests will assure that all of your invested time will give you the resulting flavour that you hoped for. (It will also help get the other spices to your liking)

Another tip that might be helpful I was researching pâté making and I was making the challenge recipe and found that 'normal' bacon can very very salty so it is best to use uncured bacon if you can get it luckily I used uncured bacon anyway and found the seasoning to be correct after I did the poach test.

RecipesNotes: - For all pâtés: We have each worked with various sizes and shapes of baking pans. We have indicated the size of the pans we used, but feel free to adapt the quantities to the bake ware you have on hand. - After baking the Three Spice Liver Pâté, Chicken Liver Pâté and the Trout and Shrimp Pâté, when taken out of the oven they had all shrunk slightly, and they were swimming in liquid fat. The longer you allow the pâtés to cool, the more the juices will get soaked in the pâté. When removing from the mold, drain the excess fat. You can also drain some of the fat before unmolding, but keeping mind your pâté may be a littler drier.- Chicken Liver Pâté and Trout Pâté: These recipes involve flambéing ingredients with alcohol. This actually adds a lot of flavor to the dish. However, if you do not wish to consume alcohol, or if you are uncomfortable with flambéing, you can omit this step. IMPORTANT PRECAUTION: When flambéing, make sure to always keep an airtight lid within your reach, in case you need to put out the flames quickly.- Tricolor Vegetable Pâté: Refrigerate as long as possible, min 8 hours. Freeze it 30 min before unmolding.- French Baguette: Use the lesser amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled. Spritz the baguettes heavily with warm water; this will help them develop a crackly-crisp crust.- Sandwich Loaf: We only made the whole wheat version of this bread, and the little rolls where tested, rather than two large loaves. However, they were perhaps a little heavy. If you want to make the whole wheat version, but prefer soft, light bread, you may want to use half white flour and half whole wheat (or use a two-to-one ratio, it’s really your choice). You can also halve the recipe and just make one loaf.- What to serve your pâtés with, besides the bread? How about some pickles, cheeses, grapes, or an onion confit. Let your imaginations go wild!

Variations allowed: You may choose from any of the recipes below for the pâtés. We have included a chicken liver, fish/seafood, pork and vegetarian recipe. I believe they are all gluten free (correct me if I am wrong). The pork one is dairy-free. Vegans and those with food restrictions can find a substitute recipe as the vegetarian one has cheese. For the bread, you can choose any recipe you like if you do not want to make the French Baguette or the Sandwich Loaf.

Mandatory:-You must prepare one pâté recipe listed below (exceptions are allowed for participants with food restrictions, and vegans may choose their own substitutions) and one bread recipe of your choice.- Your pâté has to 1) be baked or refrigerated (or both) for a significant amount of time, so that 2) you have to be able to unmold it onto a serving dish. This is to avoid the possibility of someone puréeing a bunch of vegetables, putting the mixture in a jar, and calling it “vegetable pâté”: that is not a pâté, that is a spread.

In mixing bowl, incorporate the meat and liver mixture with the cognac and eggs.

Line bottom of baking or ceramic pan with overlapping pieces of bacon. Place a bay leaf on the bottom and then fill with meat/liver mixture. Cover top with another bay leaf and then overlapping pieces of bacon.

Place in oven in the larger baking pan and add enough water to cover 2/3rds of the pan containing the meat/liver mixture. Bake for about 1-1.5 hrs.

The pâté will contract and the juices will be on the bottom. Allow to cool and soak up the juices. Remove any excess bacon and discard the bay leaves.

NOTE: If you cannot find ground pork belly or blade, buy it whole, cut it into chunks, and pulse in the food processor. You can also replace the pork blade with regular ground pork.

Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mark 6).

Melt the fat or butter in a heavy frying pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until browned but still slightly pink on the inside.

Remove the pan from heat. Pour in the brandy, light a match and carefully ignite the alcohol to flambé. Wait for the flames to go out on their own, carefully tilting the pan to ensure even flavoring. Set aside.

Put the minced pork belly and blade in a food processor, then add the onion-liver mixture and the chopped shallots, and pulse until you obtain a homogeneous mixture – make sure not to reduce it to a slurry.

Transfer to a bowl, and gradually stir in the chopped bacon, quatre-épices, cream, eggs, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a terrine or loaf pan, and cover with the terrine lid or with aluminum foil.

Prepare a water bath: place the loaf pan in a larger, deep ovenproof dish (such as a brownie pan or a baking dish). Bring some water to a simmer and carefully pour it in the larger dish. The water should reach approximately halfway up the loaf pan.

Put the water bath and the loaf pan in the oven, and bake for 2 hours. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. The terrine should be cooked through, and you should be able to slice into it with a knife and leave a mark, but it shouldn’t be too dry. Refrigerate, as this pâté needs to be served cold. Unmold onto a serving platter, cut into slices, and serve with bread.

NOTE: This pâté freezes well. Divide it into manageable portions, wrap tightly in plastic film, put in a freezer Ziploc bag, and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge before eating.

In a heavy, flameproof frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the 1/4 pound of medium shrimp, stirring often, until pink and cooked through. Remove the pan from heat. (NOTE: These shrimp will be used to form layers within your pâté. If you feel they are too thick – like the ones in the photograph, you might want to slice them in half lengthwise.)

Pour the Grand Marnier over the cooked shrimp. Light a match and carefully ignite the alcohol, to flambé the shrimp. Wait for the flames to go out on their own, carefully tilting the pan to ensure even flavoring. Set aside.

Put the trout and the remaining raw shrimp in a food processor and pulse. Gradually pour in the cream and keep pulsing until you obtain a smooth mixture that is easy to spread, but not too liquid (you may not need to use all the cream). Season with salt and green pepper.

Butter a 6x3 inch (15x7,5 cm) loaf pan or terrine, then line it with parchment paper. Spoon in half the trout mixture, and spread it evenly. Place the flambéed shrimp on top, in an even layer, reserving 3 or 4 shrimp for decorating. Top with the remaining trout mixture.

Prepare a water bath: place the loaf pan in a larger, deep ovenproof dish (such as a brownie pan or a baking dish). Bring some water to a simmer and carefully pour it in the larger dish. The water should reach approximately halfway up the loaf pan.

Put the water bath and terrine in the oven, and bake for 35 minutes. The pâté should be cooked through and firm in the center.

Remove the pan from the water bath and let cool. Carefully unmold onto a serving platter. Decorate with the reserved shrimp, and sprinkle with chopped chives. Cut into thick slices and serve at room temperature, with crusty bread.

*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Make the starter by mixing the yeast with the water, then mixing in the flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours; overnight works well. The starter should have risen and become bubbly.

Mix active dry yeast with the water and then combine with the starter, flour, and salt. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. Knead for about 5 minutes on speed 2 of a stand mixer.

Place the dough in a lightly greased medium-size bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and then again after 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again. With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 15" log. Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans.

Cover them with a cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise till they've become very puffy, about 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450ºF (240ºC).

Using a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make three 8" vertical slashes in each baguette. Spritz the baguettes heavily with warm water; this will help them develop a crackly-crisp crust.

Bake the baguettes until they're a very deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. Or, for the very crispiest baguettes, turn off the oven, crack it open about 2", and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven.

For the whole wheat versionUse the same amount of whole wheat flour, and add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of milk

To make loavesIn a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and warm milk, and whisk to dissolve. Whisk in the salt and the melted butter.

Gradually sprinkle in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the dough becomes too thick to stir, knead it with your hands, for about 5 minutes, until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough that is soft and a little sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide in two. Form each half into a slightly oval ball. Butter your two loaf pans and transfer the dough to the pans. Cover lightly and let rise in a draft-free area for 60 minutes, or until doubled in volume.

Fill a large baking pan with hot water (simmering is fine) and place in the oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF (240ºC).

Put the loaves in then oven and bake for 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time. After 10 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) and continue baking for about 25 minutes, or until the loaves are nicely golden. Unmold and let cool on a rack.

To make individual rolls

Go through the same process as for making the loaves, up until it is time to shape the loaves. Divide the dough into 18 sections, shape each section into a ball, and dust with flour. Butter part of two muffin tins (only butter 18 cavities), and transfer the balls of dough into the cavities.

Cover loosely and let rise in a draft-free area for 45 minutes.

Fill a large baking pan with hot water (simmering is fine) and place in the oven. Preheat oven to 425ºF (225ºC).

Put the loaves in then oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the rolls are nicely golden. Let cool on a rack.

Wow, Audax! Every month I look forward to see what you have accomplished with these monthly challenges. I am amazed! I still have to make my vegetable påté this week for a dinner party. I will be thinking of you and your wonderful presentations to guide me!

Audax, as usual you have set a pace for the rest to follow. It's mind boggling that you have come up with so many varieties. They all look and sound so delicious (would love to have tried it). Bravo, bravo!

So amazing. I made pate once and still remember having to remove all the little hearts from the chicken livers. The ingredients you have used are at another level completely. I particularly like the look of the breads you made. Which of the breads did you prefer?

Wow, I love how you really embraced this challenge! Amazing job, I think I would taste all of yours...I just couldn't actually stomach using those ingredients for my version. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Wow - talk about above and beyond! I can honestly say that I NEVER would have thought of some of those, but that is what this is all about, right? Your friends must have been very adventurous this month... :)

I love all the versions of offal pate particularly the brawn I haven't made that in a good few years but may just have to again now. I think you missed heart but otherwise you must have used most types of offal. In this country we have a saying that the only thing you can't eat on a pig is the squeak!

Interesting as always:) The head cheese made me homesick for my mom's recipe....never would have thought to make that as I don't think of it as a pate.....but it can be delicious:) Now I'm curious to try some pate in a pressure canner to put away for Christmas time. I have really enjoyed this challenge and I can see that you have as well!

Chicken feet, brawn, tripe - you push the challenges to a new frontier of Daring. Bravo! I think it's brilliant to use all those less used parts of the animal. I'm a big fan of nose-to-tail eating ... in theory. I need to work on being a fan in practice!

Over the top! Everything looks perfect and I'm sure was time-consuming, but you seem to have fully enjoyed this challenge as you do all of the challenges.. I commend you! You must have had a great party with all this food! The pig's head is cute, hah!

I love offals! I'm enjoying all your pates' if only i will have time to make them. I so wish i'm your neighbor i'd for surely devour everyting! I'm interested w/ the tripe pate'..i do have some in the freezer, what else goes w/ the tripe and the fruit?And that hogs head..i see lechon=;) yes you can put that whole thing in the oven and roast, 'til the skin is crunchy. Have you tried the brain? it's good. OMG..i'm sure some are already saying eewww!!=;)You did an amazing job, as usual!

Yesterday I cooked a pig for my friends birthday bash. The only leftovers I took home were the head, feet, and ham bones. They are now gently simmering away in a big pot full of other goodies. We shall see if head cheese is possible from already roasted parts. I am looking at many posts about head cheese and wanted to stop by to get some hints.